Denise, welcome to the club. Many of us are notoriously poor selfie takers. Sure, we may get a good one off every once in a blue moon. But for the most part, our selfies are a subtle form of self torture. We know we won’t take a good picture, but we go for it anyway. Glad you liked it!

Why thank you Miss Cloudy! Mind you, that pose in my onesie is as manly as it gets. So I can’t for the life of me figure out why folks find it so funny. When I look at it, I see Super Nigerian Man, no?

That’s the thing Silent. Not everyone is confident about themselves enough to post the good, bad and ugly. By and large, we’re seeing only the curated, perfectly coiffed, flattering ones. The few that get by folks’ filters end up on Selfie Fail blogs, where the not-so-attuned are immortalized forever for their selfie faux pas.

This was hilarious. Probably because I can relate. Nice light hearted post. Admittedly, i have yet to join the selfie movement. But I can acknowledge its existence, and boy is it real.
So much so, camera apps come equipped with ‘filters’ on phone’s so one can add effects to his/her images. We now live in a world of Cellphone (Self phone) photographers. Imagine that.
In the end, I’ll leave the selfies to the professionals.

I have to “tweak” my photos xD haha as I always manage to find some “ugh” photos, and never seem to find the one that can make itself call a “decent selfie” xD hahaha… omg… you’re so right… “pure unadultered vanity”

Reblogged this on zacculbertson and commented:
“Selfies are an art form”
Might have just laughed out loud. Perfectly said.
I do not encourage selfies but some people think they are necessary everyday but as long as the front of our phones have a camera allowing us to take them, sadly they will be taken. Throwback Thursdays will forever be popular, the end.

For me a ‘selfie’ is an image of one self portrayed to others this portrayal is very superficial particularly in our youth, as we really do not know ourselves. As the years pass we begin to understand our own depth and as we do, we generally become less willing to share such a superficial image of ourselves with others. We would prefer people not to view us as empty generic shells in a generic pose especially after going through the life experiences we have been going through, we would prefer to be recognised for our own unique characteristics. These can not be so easily captured from a self held angled camera lens, even by a selfie master. To be honest there are so many other things in life that we can try to master, which will in turn enhance our lives and the lives of others, I don’t think we should worry too much about mastering the selfie. I enjoyed reading your thought provoking post and your attempts at ‘selfies’ was particularly brave and highly amusing. Good luck if you continue in the pursuit of an exceptional ‘selfie’. Jasmine.

It IS pure unadulterated vanity. I watch teenagers take pictures of themselves all day long, and all they want is for people to comment on them. They don’t realize that NOBODY cares about their pictures, because everyone they know is also too busy taking pictures and waiting for comments to give a damn.

Hey Shuku (I love that name) I great selfies. I don;t claim to be anything but your average Selfic idol, with nothing more than exactly the self-conscious problems you describe so well, so I try to do something with them afterwards – my “self-portraits” (just little upmarket there) Check ’em out on Xraypics.wordpress.com. I’d love to hear your comments – the more brutal the better. Cheers, Tony

I think you did okay with your onesie selfie! I too ONE selfie at the end of 2013 and it turned out pretty good (for me, I too suffer from the massive forehead syndrome) and no one spotted it for what it was. Go on, tell me I’m a master…http://warmginger.com/2014/01/01/goodbye-to-my-selfie/

I am a selfie master. I am such a selfie master that I downloaded the app “Facetune” to my iPhone so I could fix my facial issues in the event that I have one *lol* You can fix your forehead if you wanted to. I never noticed the shine or the shadow until you pointed it out 🙂
This blog was a fun read. I love your thermals. I suspect they have a trap door in the back. If the link below works, it’s of the last selfie I took of 2013..

hahaha loved your post! I’m from the selfie generation but I wouldn’t be caught dead taking one myself, it’s highly degrading (in my opinion) I love being photographed though, I’m just not a fan of doing it myself or in the mirror.. It seems so pathetic.

Kay, thank you so much. I’m glad that you enjoyed it. Now how do you really feel about selfies? Don’t hold back (tee-hee). I probably wouldn’t go so far as to say that selfies are ‘pathetic’. Sometimes it’s really a function of utility. There is no one around and you want to capture the moment. And I’m not talking about the compulsive selfie-taker, but the occasional snapper. I’m sure you don’t think that ALL selfies are pathetic. Right?

Well, by selfies I refer to the pics that people usually take at home, pouting into the camera, or even worse, in their bathroom mirrors (shudder)
I saw a real cool pic of a guy recently who took a picture of himself minutes after surviving a plane crash. I’ll admit, those kinda selfies are cool, one’s that capture a special moment or tell a story but definitely not the type that I aforementioned.

Hilarious! I am SOOOO not a selfie master! I usually end up looking very un-glamorous and somehow I capture myself from all the worst angles. Too much chin! No cheeks! Did not know I had that much forehead! And where did my hair go??! I am glad to know that I am not the only one…and I loved the man-jammies! Very courageous of you to share!

GeorgeAnn, few of us (of a certain age) can truly lay claim to mastery of selfies. It is (apparently) a skill that the younger generation is quite adept at. Capturing those angles that make our foreheads, chins and hairlines seem attractive is second nature to these kids. I fear we must suffer the mediocrity of our selfies with dignity. And thanks for the compliments. Apparently these jammies are a hit!

lol this was hilarious and very interesting read. I am falling in the ‘selfie’ category…but I think that the ‘selfies’ give us regular people a chance to control how we look on camera,that is, if we master it like you said! lol…the point is, it’s just feeling like you’re in control!

I once asked a professional portrait photographer if he worried his line of work would soon be replaced by selfies. He said ‘never, he was too good at his job’. I took the picture he had just taken of me, and put it next to my iPhone, with a recent ‘selfie’. My picture was undeniably better. He’ll be out of a job soon.

these days when I take a selfie its often with my new bestie – my textbooks and study materials — if you haven’t guessed yet, I am currently in the middle of exam period so theres not much time to be taking selfies every two minutes in a new location … read all about my triumphs and falls at http://www.almosttgrown.wordpress.com

Loved this post! Found it hilarious! I am no Master Selfie myself. I reckon the hardest selfie to master is the selfie in the mirror. I just can’t hold my phone in a glamarous way. Oh well, I’ll keep practising 🙂

I feel I have “mastered” the Selfie, if I must say so myself!! Lots of my training came from America’s Next Top Model. You have to learn your angles, and make them work for you! When taking a head shot it’s better to raise the camera instead of head-on. I’m not sure how to do the full body mirror shots, but most times I just find someone to take those for me! However, they never seem to capture everything that I am trying to fit in the lens. Very nice post!!

Thanks MizDeeza! I’m loving the FP love I’ve received over the past two days. Very inspiring. I’m pleased that this post made you laugh, because I’m definitely going for lighthearted fun at the expense of the selfie-obsessed!

Ur forehead somehow invited me to tell u that ur very intellectual n a lateral thinker.u focus on things that only interest u and feeling and emotions don’t play much a role in ur thinking process:) a lovely hilarious post I must say👍👍

Here, here! I think that the whole selfie movement (as we’re currently seeing it) is a phenomenon of the younger generation, although plenty of folks from my generation are caught up in posting repetitive images of themselves (go figure). I’m not sure I would call it a disorder, especially since it emanates from social media, which didn’t necessarily exist (in its present form) a few years ago. There was no Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest or many of these photo/video sharing media for people to get all caught up in. It may, in fact, be the symptoms of a deeper issue, but the jury’s still out for me.

I think folks are definitely into taking lots of pictures to capture those fleeting moments in our live for posterity. And taking flicks with the kiddies is probably exempted. It’s really about the ‘shoot and post’ that converts it from memory capture to shameless self-promotion.

Hi Stephen, your post is just very timely, no I’m not a selfie master. I often take few shots and when I see my ugly face on the camera, I delete it right away. Something is not just right. And damn! I haven’t post any selfie on my facebook or twitter. I always ended up putting my camera on a timer or have someone take a shot afar from me, but holding my camera in just a few distance? ugghhh, its always a failure! I have to master and begin to like my self more.

Donna thanks for the comments. Selfies, by their very nature, require that you love yourself, first and foremost. The whole point of the selfie is self-promotion, so you’ve got to be uber comfortable with yourself. You are not ugly, so don’t ever put that energy out there. None of us are supermodels (except supermodels) so the standard of beauty starts from within. As I have said, not everyone can master the selfie, so if you look better to yourself in other people’s pictures, stick to that. Selfies are soooooooo over-rated anyway!

Thanks Stephen! You really inspire me and challenged me in so many ways. You are very positive! I might post my first selfie pose and blog it in my wordpress. And hope you dont mind me mentioning your post to inspire also my audience.

based on the pointers you’ve listed above, no, i’ll never be a selfie master. should my world fall apart now? 😉 that said, i had fun reading your post. high five for being freshly pressed. and keep on mastering selfies 😉 and please do us a favor, blog about it!

Xristina, thanks for the love! I’ve been taking selfies for a hot minute and have mastered nothing! I’ve resigned to posting less-than-flattering images of myself and just dealing with it. And trust, I will blog as long as I have an audience willing to read my drivel!

I love your post, and those red jammies. I am horrible at selfies. Maybe someday there will be classes for better selfies. I would take a selfies 101 class. lol. I am glad check FP! You have a great blog.

Hot mess is not a bad look for you man! I for one, am tired of the reign of selfies. Its okay sometimes, but mostly the pouty lips and the slitted eyes and the come-and-get-me look seems seriously overdone. But maybe that’s just me trying to be okay with the fact that I’m NOT a selfie master.
Cheers to you!

Reblogged this on Its all one big world and commented:
Selfies I really don’t understand why anyone would to this, what happened to taking pictures of you and your friends with a good ‘ole camera. I guess I have never thought that taking my picture is that much fun and honestly will do anything to not be a in a picture. Can we call these people vain? I know someone who has over 40,000 selfies and just makes no sense. Stamp out the Selfie Movement!

Lincoln, selfies are definitely a recent phenomenon and clearly not everyone is into it. I’m with you that selfies are a form of vanity that we many never fully comprehend. But it is here to stay so we’d better get used to it!

If no one likes your selfie, then you immediately take it off and forget it ever happened haha. I agree that social media should not be such an important factor in our lives. I wasn’t really speaking from my point of view, but some of my friends invest way too much into the approval they get from others via social media. I’ve even had friends come to me and demand I like their selfie! I prefer to get my approval from things that actually matter such as grades, sports performance, etc. Thanks for responding to my comment 🙂

Woah Bro,
That was awesome I totally agree with all of the points made in the post. I will check back to your blog and maybe you can check out mine as well?http://caturnerblog.wordpress.com/
There’s the link, check it out and I will check out here again. You just earned a follower!

Haha this made me laugh!
Great post – not a selfie taker, and proud! (Although I do have a few lurking around) but mostly that’s because I’m camera shy when others are around and I need good profile pics! Or as good as I can get.)

Chelsea thanks for the love! I think lots of folks initially take selfies to have a flick to add to some online profile. But then (as one would expect) you can’t get a good one the first time and so you take another…and another…and before you know it you’re on your way to selfie-dom!

Hilarious and so true.. some people make a career of selfies.. one reason I closed up shop last year on “the book of faces”, a new selfie would pop up in my timeline every 30 minutes.. oi vey..
any selfies you see of me on the web, I will deny as a selfie..lol
congrats on FP!

Six degrees, thanks for the love! You’re the second professional photographer with an ‘informed’ perspective on selfies. They’re definitely annoying when you get repetitive posters all up in your stream/timeline. It’s like “Do you think I’ve forgotten how you look? Why the steady stream of images of your face?” I’ve taken to unfollowing cats who are chronic selfie posters so that I’m not a part of their fandom. Ridiculous!

My hand is held UP high..I’m a selfie master! Or least the ones that I show/send to people are marvelous(I delete my crappy ones with a quickness)..Loved this write & lmfao..And that took guts to post the pic of the man-jammies..Rocking that red! I used to have a pair of those jams with footies attached! (yucky green color, but jeez they were comfy..) 2 thumbs UP on your write..Write ON

I appreciate the read and the comments Bernasvibe! Thats how you know you’re a master, when can can self-assess and vet those flicks that don’t make the cut (with a quickness)! I am self deprecating if nothing else, and I needed to post those selfies to prove my point. It takes a certain je n’est c’est quoi to truly master selfies. And thank you for the praise, you guys are certainly giving my ego a boost!

The selfie in the mirror is one of the oldest tricks in the book (made easier by the fact that I’ve got a full length joint in my kitchen). But notwithstanding my demur, I’ll take those brownie points, thank you very much!

Can I just how much this blog gave me life! LOL! This was awesome. I agree, some selfies just DONT come out right. Though I must say, your selfie in the onsie was ON POINT lol. At any rate, great blog, you just gained a new follower. Feel free to check out mine as well!

As a fifteen year old girl, I was interested to see what your opinion on the selfie was. This may sound extremely stupid, but the point of taking selfies is to give yourself a confidence boost. If people “like” your selfies, then it’s seen as an approval of what you look like. The ultimate honor is to be someone’s “Woman Crush Wednesday” or “Man Candy Monday”, which means they tell everyone that follows them how attractive you are. There’s even an entire day dedicated to the selfie, #selfiesunday. I guess they could be considered as vain, sometimes when your having a shitty day, it helps to have a hundred or so people tell you that your’e pretty. I think that if you can consider yourself to be “Selfie Master”, then you’ve gone too far. As far as vines go, those are just for people who want their six seconds of fame, and 99% of the people considered “Vine Famous” are one hit wonders that got lucky.

Katie, thank you so much for reading my little post. And thank you for providing an informed perspective on selfies. To be honest, I wasn’t up on the whole world of selfies. I didn’t know that folks were crushing on each other, so I’m really grateful for your insight. I hear you about using selfies to give your day a boost. But what happens when you post a selfie and no one likes it? Does your day continue to be shitty? Social media shouldn’t hold that much sway in your life and you should definitely look for offline means of getting out of a funk. But do you.

I am definitely NOT a Selfie Master. I am not opposed to the idea of selfies within limitation, I just cannot seem to take a nice picture of myself. If you ever figure out how to become a Master, let me know!

i THINK im good at selfies as i always say, no one takes a good photo of me, but me. lol.. because i get to practice and pose and retry and retry until i get that one pic that will suffice. It’s like two different people when i compare a selfie to a picture someone else took of me.

As a MASTER selfie, (only because I truly do take better photos of myself than others are able to) I limit my posting of them to a minimum! I have never taken the full body shot in the bathroom mirror – I draw a limit there. I have to add for anyone who posts pictures at all, either selfies or otherwise, please for the love of all things holy, be sure your background is clean! I enjoyed reading your post!

Alright Miss Words! Your gangster is quite high if you take better pictures of you than others do. I was just commenting that the best pictures of folks have traditionally been taken by other people, and here you go challenging that assumption! But handle your scandal! I’m going to have to do a follow up post called “The 10 Selfie Commandments” to help the misguided. I saw a selfie fail the other day of a brother who took a selfie facing away from the bathroom mirror. Why was his crusty behind on full display behind him. And he clearly missed it because he posted it!

Flo (I hope you don’t mind me taking liberties with your name) let’s do it! I’ll write 10 and you write 10, and we’ll pick the top 10 from our collective list to co-publish! I’m sure we’ll have dupes, but if not, we can figure out which ones are on the A list.

I peeped your profile, and yes, you are The Queen of Selfies, hands down. I see you’re not shy with that tatted shoulder out!

This was hilarious, thanks for writing and congrats on freshly pressed! There are so many things that need to come together for a selfie and it was fun to see you touch on them. I am definitely not a mistress of the selfie, but I have hope for the future.

You are darling and so funny and I will be smiling all day! Thank you. And I don’t do selfies. I just post too many photos of my cute cats. On the other hand the teens in my life are selfie masters – I think it is some evolutionary modification.

I don’t understand this ‘selfie’ tag/movement. I see it a lot nowadays but what’s the difference between that and people having taken photos of themselves for themselves and/or others for decades? That said I’ve never really understood that massive amount of people taking pics of themselves in a mirror with a camera for the past what, 5 or so years? Most commercially available cameras have had timers on them since the 70’s and even more so with the digital revolution which is why it surprised me to see so many mirror pics. Before phones had swivel cameras it made sense for people with only camera enabled phones but not cameras to take pics like that but still tons of people were using cameras in that curious way. I asked a few and most said they hadn’t realized their was a timer…

I’ve always taken my own photos since I don’t like being in front of a camera person, I find it embarrassing though when someone asks me to take pics of them I’m ok with that and they obviously are too. Which brings me to my next point – my selfies have gotten better over the years because I’ve learned more about photography and which is why others trust me to take pics of them but with all this ‘selfie’ barrage what is the difference between being a selfie photo taker and a photographer, whether amateur, hobbyist or pro? ‘Selfie’ seems like a negative tag/label but many of us into photography have never seen taking our own photos that way; less labour, less time, more control and less arguing over details etc. That said I’m no selfie master and have blogged about and shown parts I wasn’t happy with.

As for the posing – can’t always look normal doing normal things and hey people are supposed to pose and be fun or cool for the camera:-). Natural, surprised and everyday shots are fine too and can capture special moments very nicely but both have their limitations and advantages.

Thanks for the read and the comments! You’re right. The selfie craze isn’t really a craze per se, since folks have been doing it for time immemorial. The difference is social media, and the platform its provided for people to share their obsession with themselves. I’m still grappling with people taking (and posting) countless pictures of themselves.

Go figure! Kudos to professional photographers who know how to make us look good all the time!

Ah I think I see an understanding on the horizon 🙂 It’s quantity over quality? Akin to people with point and shoot cameras on automatic who take 1000-2000 photos on holiday but only ever need or want/keep approx 50-100? Or taking 30 shots to get 1-2 ones and that’s of a still setting rather capturing movement in a sequence hence having to take more to counteract the inevitable blur that doesn’t always look good. With the vanity/addictive qualities thrown in for good measure. Well a certain amount can’t be helped and in a way it seems thousands of selfies (the candid and not photoshoot ones) have taken the place of video cameras for capturing moments.

You’re getting there. Selfies are pure unadulterated vanity. The multiple shots allow you to have a wide breadth of shits to select from. Although (as you correctly note) only a few of which will ultimately make the cut.

And were it that simple, we’d be done. But there are also “Vines” – short six-second videos, that are becoming a virulent as selfies. Vines are to videography what selfies are to photography.